It was bound to happen, there is now a cruise ship which contains 106 apartments, 19 studio apartments, and 40 studios. It is owned by it's passengers and sails the world. And that is its name, The World.
Their website is here and a story about the ship and its passengers is here. Hat tip to Instapundit for the link. We've done a boatload of cruising (pun intended) and aren't sure we'd want to make our full-time home at sea.
It strikes me there are hidden glitches in a life with no permanent residence. How would you see a medical (or dental) specialist if you need one? What would one's U.S. tax status be? How does one get mail? Is the Internet as unsatisfactory as it typically is on regular cruise ships?
The passenger group is relatively small (estimate: 300), what if one found no congenial fellow passengers or many uncongenial ones? Since the passengers own the ship, presumably they collectively decide on its policies, etc. What sort of ugly politics does this engender, like those of a condo, coop or country club?
I think I'd rather rent space from Princess or Royal Caribbean.
